Why should Iran be chosen for health tourism?

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15 Minutes

Any foreign traveler might ask why Iran must be the destination for medical treatment and health tourism. There are various reasons for choosing Iran for health and medical tourism as Iran is a vast country with excellent treatment options as well as numerous natural and historical attractions.

A hospitable people

Iranian are known for their hospitality, regardless of their guest being an Iranian or a foreigner. The late Anthony Bourdain, the famous American chef, author, and documentarian, had this to say of Iran when he traveled here a few years ago:

“Of all the places, of all the countries, of all the years of traveling, it’s here, in Iran, that I’m greeted most warmly by total strangers.”

If you travel to Iran and have random strangers on the street invite you to a meal at their own house, don’t be surprised!

Choosing Iran for medical treatment

Traditional medicine in Iran

While traditional medicine existed in most ancient civilizations, the Persian traditional medicine has had a history of several thousand years: it developed through different time periods, influenced Greek medicine and organized it, later merged with Islamic medicine, and became a fully-fledged system for treatment and health.

Furthermore, medicinal and health knowledge has been of grave importance to Iranians since ancient times, and it is worth noting that a considerable amount of health and medicinal knowledge, for instance about the nature of different foods and the negative and positive effect of foods on each other and on the human body, still exists among ordinary people. It is quite normal in Iran, or in neighboring countries where other residents of ancient Persia now live, for someone to instruct you what food to eat or not to eat together with another, or to tell you to balance the effect of what you have eaten with a certain herb or food (e.g. take some squaw mint with your yogurt), or to open their kitchen cabinet and offer you a herbal tea for your stomachache. There is also a tendency among the general population to use traditional medicine alongside modern medicine and having physicians who have studied in both medicine systems available in Iran is among the advantages of Iran for foreign patients since the disease can be looked at from different perspectives.

The importance of medical education in Iran

Apart from the long history of Iran in traditional medicine, people of Persia have always treasured knowledge and science, and Iranian scholars and scientists have kept up with, and contributed to the, advances in technology and medicine in the world, with the field of medicine having a special place and status among Iranian people as well as the government. The government has invested extensively in advancement of traditional and modern medicine, and various university majors with different minors and concentrations in top universities of Iran are training healthcare specialists. With the considerable number of specialists and healthcare centers in Iran, there is no waiting time for foreign patients who travel to Iran for medical treatment, and Iranian hospital and clinics are prepared and equipped to provide state-of-the-art healthcare services to patients with the utmost expediency. On-demand, high-quality services are among the advantages of choosing Iran for health tourism.

In addition, Iran is among the leading countries in various fields such as stem cell research and nanotechnology research.

Technologically-advanced and highly-equipped hospitals

Iran has numerous general and specialized hospitals which are public (government-owned) or private. Only in Tehran, there are tens of hospitals that offer quality medical services to patients, several of which have started their IPD (International Patients Department) and VIP departments in the past decade and offer premium healthcare services. These hospitals use state-of-the-art equipment and observe all ethical and professional guidelines in their medical services. Thousands of foreigners from the neighboring countries, Europe and the US choose Iran for medical treatment and wellness tours every year.

Qualified, experienced, and committed doctors, surgeons, and nurses

Considering the importance of medicine education and treatment in Iran, the number of specialist doctors and qualified surgeons in Iran is significant, and fierce competition in academic and scientific progress has resulted in only top people entering the healthcare sector, especially top hospitals in Tehran. These committed doctors and surgeons are highly experienced as they have numerous clients on a weekly basis, which in turn has made them exceedingly efficient at diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment.

The upside of sanctions for Iran

While Iran has been subject to increasing number of sanctions by Western countries, especially the US, over the past few decades, the country has progressed proudly and has made the sanctions a leverage toward self-reliance and independence. The sanctions resulted in advancement in many national industries, including medical equipment and pharmaceutical drugs. Since even certain drugs were banned to be exported to Iran under sanctions, many Iranian pharmaceutical companies started researching and producing domestic versions of such drugs, filling the gap by relying on their own capabilities and resources. Among such drugs are those for MS, diabetes, osteoporosis, autoimmune disorder, and rheumatoid arthritis that are now produced inside Iran.

Significantly lower cost for treatment and aftercare in Iran

Among the undesirable (and expected) results of sanctions for the Iranian economy was the dropping of IR rial value against foreign currencies. While this downside took its toll on the Iranian people, it provided foreign nationals with a great opportunity to travel to Iran for a much lower cost. Considering the increasing number of sanctions imposed on Iran in the past few years, the cost for treatment in Iran now would be a small percentage of what it would cost to receive the same treatment (of the same quality) in European countries, and even in Iran’s neighboring countries. It is now the golden time for foreigners to travel to Iran for health and wellness as you can save up to 70% and enjoy your time on vacation.

Halal tourism in Iran

Among the points of strength of Iran as tourism destination for neighboring countries is the similarity of cultures which facilitates the stay of foreigners in Iran. Our Arab neighbors have a much better experience in Iran as a Muslim country compared to European countries since they can enjoy Halal tourism and get to know numerous like-minded individuals on the streets. Furthermore, there are religious sites for Muslim tourists, such as Imam Reza’s shrine in Mashhad.

Foreign nationals are safe and secure in Iran, especially in the capital Tehran and main cities such a Mashhad, Shiraz, Isfahan, and Tabriz.

5-star hotels with top-notch facilities

Iran has well-equipped 5-star hotels in many cities, and only in Tehran there are tens of 4-star and 5-star hotels, including Parsian Azadi hotel, Parsian Esteghlal hotel, Espinas Palace hotel, Homa hotel, Laleh hotel, and Novotel hotel.

Choosing Iran for Health

In addition to Iran being an ideal destination for medical treatment, Iran has a huge potential for health and wellness tours. Iran is a vast country with numerous natural, historical, and cultural attractions. More importantly, Iran offers various choices for wellness and health, including:

Ecotourism
Hydropathy (hot and cold spas and springs)
Mud therapy
Sand therapy
Pebble therapy
Halotherapy (salt therapy)

During your stay here, you can also enjoy the Persian Cuisine as Persian dishes, quite the opposite of fast foods, are cooked slowly and over the course of a few hours and according to home recipes since Iranians did not have a habit of eating out. Persian cooking is based on the principles of traditional Iranian medicine which results in nutritious and balanced dishes.